Combination insulated conductor wire stripping cutting and wrapping tool

ABSTRACT

A device for cutting, stripping and wrapping insulated conductor comprises a rotatable wrapping bit with terminal receiving means and insulated conductor receiving means mounted for rotation within a fixed sleeve. The bit includes a transverse slot extending diametrically across the bit inwardly from the end face thereof with a knife means slidably received in the slot and the sleeve includes a partial circumferential slit which forms an opening to receive the end of the knife opposite the cutting edge. The arrangement is such that the cutting edge of the knife which may be disposed in the conductor receiving means of the wrapping bit is pushed out of position when a wire is inserted into the conductor receiving means, the other end of the knife dropping into the slit in the sleeve and when the parts are relatively rotated, the knife moves into the conductor receiving means engaging the insulation on the conductor which is located therein, being forced upwardly in its slot by the inner wall of the sleeve.

United States Patent [191 Jackson, Jr. et al.

[ 1 July 8,1975

[75] Inventors: Edmond F. Jackson, Jr., West Warwick; Daniel T. Ilannify, Warren, both of R1.

[73] Assignee: Ostby & Barton Co., Providence,

22 Filed: Sept. 6, 1974 [21] App]. No.: 503,592

Primary ExaminerLowell A. Larson Attorney, Agent, or FirmBarlow & Barlow 5 7] ABSTRACT A device for cutting, stripping and wrapping insulated conductor comprises a rotatable wrapping bit with terminal receiving means and insulated conductor receiving means mounted for rotation within a fixed sleeve. The bit includes a transverse slot extending diametrically across the bit inwardly from the end face thereof with a knife means slidably received in the slot and the sleeve includes a partial circumferential slit which forms an opening to receive the end of the knife opposite the cutting edge. The arrangement is such that the cutting edge of the knife which may be disposed in the conductor receiving means of the wrapping bit is pushed out of position when a wire is inserted into the conductor receiving means, the other end of the knife dropping into the slit in the sleeve and when the parts are relatively rotated, the knife moves into the conductor receiving means engaging the insulation on the conductor which is located therein, being forced upwardly in its slot by the inner wall of the sleeve.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures COMBINATION INSULATED CONDUCTOR WIRE STRIPPING CUTTING AND WRAPPING TOOL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conductor wrapping tools commonly incorporate an elongated bit which is drivingly connected with a rotating power source and this bit is journalled in a sur' rounding stationary sleeve as is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,561,687. These tools must operate on an insulated conductor which is first manually stripped. It has been the desire in the industry to eliminate the need for stripping the end of the insulated conductor before utilizing such wrapping tool and a number of such combined operation tools have been utilized as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,807,810 to E. Belleck et a1; 3,554,243 to R. A. DeRose et al and 3,781,932 to Baker et al.

Some of the prior art stripping and wrapping tools provide only partial sleeves and do not therefore provide a suitable support of the wire during the stripping and wrapping operation and create some entanglement thereof. In the Baker U.S. Pat. No. 3,781,932 some of these deficiencies have been corrected by the utilization of a complete longitudinal sleeve around the bit, but the sleeve has been designed in such a way that it of necessity has a protruding wall portion to provide clearance beyond a fixed knife which is located adjacent the bit face. In use, unless the insulated conductor wire becomes properly seated within the conductor receiving groove, a jamming will occur on the first revolution of the bit and this has not been entirely satisfac tory since care has to be exercised to prevent any kinking or bending of the conductor in order to result in a proper wrapped connection about a terminal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a device for cutting, stripping and wrapping wire about a terminal, the wire being insulated wire, by the use of a sleeve which is a complete cylinder and closes the insulated conductor receiving means and by a stripping device in the form of a knife that intersects selectively a portion of the in sulated conductor receiving means. The device further provides a cutting operation for an insulated conductor, and by virtue of an arrangement where the conductor receiving groove is angled radially outward through an aperture in the sleeve and the edge of the sleeve is provided with a cutting edge whereby relative rotation between the sleeve and the bit carrying the conductor receiving means will shear the insulated conductor. The present device is readily loaded by inserting the insulated conductor in the conductor receiving means or groove which may contain a portion of previously stripped insulation that is automatically ejected when the new conductor is inserted.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device of the instant invention attached to the end ofa tool for utilizing the same, the majority of the tool not being shown in the drawing;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal view partly in section illustrating the device of the instant invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views similar to FIG. 3 wherein the parts have undergone relative rotation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the tool of the invention generally designated 10 has an outer sleeve 12 and a bit 14. The sleeve 12 is retained in a chuck or collet 16 which remains stationary with respect to the tool while the bit 14 is drivingly connected to a rotative means (not shown) within the body of the powered tool as is well known to those skilled in the art, the manner of connection being well illustrated in the patents referenced in the Background of the Invention paragraph. The bit 14 is essentially a solid member which is provided with a terminal receiving bore 18 extending axially of the bit and centrally thereof and of a size to receive a terminal which is generally rectangular in configuration. The end face of the bit is provided with camming means in the form of a pair of sloping opposed walls 20 as, for example, as more fully illustrated and described IIIUS. Pat. No. 3,561,687. The end face configuration of the bit is merely exemplary and it will be understood that the instant invention can be used with other wrapping bit end face configurations.

The bit 14 has an elongated insulated conductor receiving means or groove 22 which extends longitudinally of the bit and is radially offset from the terminal receiving means or bore 18 is preferably located at the circumference of the bit and has a general U-shaped cross sectional configuration that opens to the circumferential surface of the bit 14. This groove or insulated conductor receiving means extends along the bit for a finite distance and has a radially outward inclined surface as at 24. This surface 24, which may also be described as sloping radially outward, permits an insulated conductor to be forced therein and thence outward from the bit. The manner in which this cooperates with the sleeve 12 will become apparent as this description progresses.

The bit 14 has a transverse slot 26 therein (see FIG. 3). This slot extends completely across the bit 14 and received therein for sliding motion is a knife means 28. The knife means 28 is provided with a central aperture 30 of a size slightly larger than the diameter of the terminal receiving bore 18. One end of the knife is provided with a centrally disposed arcuate cutout 32 and a chamfered wall 34 which provides a cutting edge along the lines 35 as well as the arcuate edge 32. The opposite end of the knife is formed with a camming radius 36 and the knife is held in position by a pin 38 that loosely extends into an aperture 40. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art of stripping insulation, the arcuate cutting edge 32 is sized to receive the conductor of the insulated wire loosely so as not to knick the same and when the knife is forced towards the insulated conductor, the edges 35 and the edge about the arcuate section 32 cut into the insulation a sufficient distance so that when longitudinal movement of the wire is had relative to the knife, the plastic insulation will be removed therefrom by a continual tearing action across the upper circumferential uncut section of the plastic, the knife having only to make a partial cut through the conductor insulation to permit stripping of the insulation therefrom.

For convenience in manufacturing the bit is preferably made in two parts, namely a main body section 15 and an end section designated 15A. From a pure manufacturing standpoint this facilitates the formation of the slot 26 within which the knife 28 reciprocates or is slidably received. Accordingly in order to hold the two parts and 15A together, interference fit pins 42 are utilized (see FIG. 3) and are driven through from one part to the other.

The tubular sleeve 12 that surrounds the bit 14 is provided with a chordal slit 50 which aligns itself with the lower or arcuate edge 36 of the knife 28. The sleeve may further include a radially outward extending portion 52 at the free end of the sleeve 12 beyond the wrapping face of the bit so that the inner wall thereof forms a partial guide surface sloping towards the chamfered mouth of the insulated conductor receiving means or groove 22. In addition the sleeve substantially intermediate thereof is provided with a breach 56 which has a cutting edge as at 58 (see FIG. 1) and a chamfered portion 59 which in effect operates as a continuation of the upwardly sloping portion 24 of the insulated conductor receiving means or groove 22.

The manner in which this device operates is assisted somewhat by reference in addition to the previous figures the diagrammatic FIGS. 4 and 5. A conductor such as is shown in FIGS, 2 thru 5 is inserted into the receiving means or groove 22. This operation must be accomplished when the bit is stationary and when it has re-align'ed itself with the sleeve in the at rest position as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The alignment is accomplished by a suitable indexing means that is provided in the powered device that rotates the bit and forms no part of the instant invention. The conductor is guided in the receiving means or groove until at least a portion thereof extends outwardly from the breach as shown in FIG. 2 and then the tool is placed over a terminal in a known way and the power means is energized to rotate the bit. During the first portion of the rotation as shown in FIG, 4 the arcuate edge 36 forms a camming surface that engages the inner wall of the sleeve 12 as at 69 and forces the knife edge partially into the insulation of the insulated conductor. Further rotation, as shown in FIG. 5, moves the knife an additional distance in the slot and more particularly the cutting edge thereof into the insulation of the conductor. As this action is proceeding, the free end of the conductor that has extended out through the breach 56 in the-sleeve is completely severed by the knife edge 58. As wrapping of the conductor continues, it will be apparent that a finite length of bared wire has been left by the preceding operation which is determined by the distance between the knife edge 35 and the location of the breach S6 in the wall of the sleeve. Now as the conductor is withdrawn by the wrapping action from the conductor receiving groove, the severed insulation will be retained in the groove 22.

Accordingly after the wrapping has finished and when the next piece of wire is to be inserted therein, the butt end of this wire will engage the chamfered wall of the knife 34 and insure that the knife drop down back into the slit 50 and further the severed insulation portion will be pushed out through the chamfered wall section 24 and out through the breach 56 in the sleeve.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing, this improved assembly with themovable knife 28 insures that the knife is always out of the way of the insulated conductor as it is inserted within the insulated conductor receiving means or groove 22 so that improper scoring of the insulation will not occur. Further by the positive movement of the knife upwardly against the insulated conductor as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, there is absolutely no chance of any slippage occurring and positive stripping of the insulation will always occur on each operating cycle of the tool.

We claim:

1. A device for stripping and wrapping wire about a terminal in a series of successive convolutions comprisa rotatable wrapping bit having an end face,

said bit having a terminal receiving means and insulated conductor receiving means with both means opening to said end face,

a transverse slot extending diametrically across said bit inwardly of said end face,

a knife means received in said slot for sliding movement therein,

said knife means having a central aperture and a cutting edge at one end thereof disposed normally out of said conductor receiving means,

the other end of said knife means having an arcuate edge,

a sleeve disposed about said bit and including a partial circumferential slit forming an opening to receive the other end of the knife,

and means to reciprocate said knife in said slot.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein the means to reciprocate the knife comprises an arcuate camming surface on the knife which engages the edge of the slit in said sleeve.

3. A device as in claim 1 wherein the sleeve includes a breach aligned with the end of the conductor receiving means.

4. A device as in claim 2 further comprising a chordal slit through the wall of the sleeve longitudinally oriented at the end of the transverse slot opposite the insulated conductor receiving means whereby the knife may protrude beyond the circular surface of the bit. 

1. A device for stripping and wrapping wire about a terminal in a series of successive convolutions comprising a rotatable wrapping bit having an end face, said bit having a terminal receiving means and insulated conductor receiving means with both means opening to said end face, a transverse slot extending diametrically across said bit inwardly of said end face, a knife means received in said slot for sliding movement therein, said knife means having a central aperture and a cutting edge at one end thereof disposed normally out of said conductor receiving means, the other end of said knife means having an arcuate edge, a sleeve disposed about said bit and including a partial circumferential slit forming an opening to receive the other end of the knife, and means to reciprocate said knife in said slot.
 2. A device as in claim 1 wherein the means to reciprocate the knife comprises an arcuate camming surface on the knife which engages the edge of the slit in said sleeve.
 3. A device as in claim 1 wherein the sleeve includes a breach aligned with the end of the conductor receiving means.
 4. A device as in claim 2 further comprising a chordal slit through the wall of the sleeve longitudinally oriented at the end of the transverse slot opposite the insulated conductor receiving means whereby the knife may protrude beyond the circular surface of the bit. 